A Monumental and Majestic Work of Epic Proportions by your lowly and humble photographic servant.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

The Art*O*Mat®

The Art-O-Mat isn't located here but at Space, in Portland. I just like this doorway better.

These are retired cigarette vending machines that now sell little bits of art for 5 bucks a pop. Samples of the art can be found under the artists name here.

I'd show you photos of the art but I don't have any. Not because I was worried about the copyright issues and derivative works but because that night I kept calling it the Crap-O-Mat and I think my neice, Sara, rightly wasn't letting me see anything she bought.

Gentle Viewer Ali B and an email exchange or two from Clark Whittington, The National Bureau Chief of Art*O*Mat has reignited my interest in these machines. When you go to the website Art*O*Mat go and check out the machines as well as the guidelines for artists and then remind yourself that it's art for 5 bucks from a machine! This is not art for money. It's art for art's sake. Try finding THAT in most places. You'll be seeking these things out.

... I truly am going to seek one of these out in the big D in a couple of weeks. No joke. It's stop numero uno for me. I can't stop thinking about it.. reminds me of my childhood friend's basement when we were kids.. her parents had an old style soda vending machine that dispensed all kinds of treats! So so cool.

your lowly and humble photographic servant

Everything I call my own, I stole from you. I can see into your soul with my one good eye.

'The Thing of the Moment' refers to the act of taking photos and posting them online; Never to the subjects themselves. Your lowly and humble photographic servant wishes to thank the subjects who appear, knowingly or unknowingly, in this work for their infinite kindness and patience.